Jared Maurice Scott
Owner, HIS Grooming Lounge
1221 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20003
What is your definition of a haircut?
A haircut is an experience. It can change an individual’s day. A bad experience can change a person’s day from bad to worse, but a great experience can uplift and encourage one to continue to press forward. When someone sits in your chair, you never know what is going on in their head, their life, or if there was something that has literally just occurred good or bad. A haircut experience must be consistent. It must be dependable. It should not be complicated but rather ease the mind, body, and spirit into a state of relaxation. If these standards are accomplished, a haircut is the best part of the week.
What inspired you to become a barber?
I was inspired to become a barber for a few reasons. I felt barbering gave purpose to my life. I realized early on that barbers and stylists become an integral part of their clients’ lives. It’s always understood that getting a haircut is a business transaction, but there is a metaphysical experience that tends to go along with it. As barbers, we are thrust into our client’s personal life as are our opinions. People listen to their barbers/stylists; they seek the personal conversation about life and the situations they face. In that I feel entrusted with a gem and jewel that must be protected. I also feel that barbering has given me the opportunity to express myself artistically. As a man who loves the arts, from dance, to music, to poetry, I have always felt a need to be involved in work that allows me to be expressive. I have also gained my degree in Business MGT from West Chester University which speaks to my passion for business and organization and the entity that is the barbershop allows for all of me to exist in one place.
What are your favorite tools to use in providing the perfect grooming experience?
My favorite tools to use when grooming my clients are the specific tools fit for their experience. Some of my guests prefer clippers so a cordless clipper is my choice because of the ability to be unrestricted in my movements. Some clients prefer only shear or razor cutting so an authentic, handcrafted Japanese blade is my choice because it melts through the hair, giving a more precise and even cut which is paramount to how the hair performs and grows back. There is nothing worse than a great haircut that looks horrible the next week. The choice in tools makes a world of a difference. For my clients who enjoy a hot lather shave, a razor holder that is thin and ergonomically crafted for the fit of an individual’s hand is preferred. The perfect razor holder can seem like an extension of your fingers, which allows for a more precise and comfortable shave.
What are your grooming tips for a shave for African American men?
For African American men interested in shaving, we are always fearful about the dreaded razor bumps. I would recommend that they first learn their skin and how it behaves. A good way to figure this out is to purchase an electric razor which takes your facial hair closer than a clipper/trimmer but not as close as a razor blade. The change in degrees of “closeness” will let the individual know about their skin and how to proceed. In any situation, consistency is important when introducing the body to a new procedure, so if one chooses to shave, stay consistent for a few months to allow the skin to memorize your habits.
Choose your products before you begin. You will need an aggressive pre-shave oil, medium to thick shave cream, and a non-alcoholic post shave. In this scenario there is also an assumption that the gentlemen is exfoliating and moisturizing his skin once to twice weekly to prevent dead skin build up and clogged pores which can lend to razor bumps.
When shaving, hot towels are your best friend, I recommend microwaving a few as hot as you can stand and placing them on the area intended for the shave. Allow the skin to soften and the pores to open; apply the pre-shave oil and shave cream and again another hot towel. Apply shave cream once more and begin your shave preferably with a single-blade razor to prevent the shave from getting too close as well as stopping irritation. One pass in the direction the hair grows – with the grain– is all that is needed.
African American men’s hair tends to be extremely curly so when taken too far beneath the skin, it tends to curl in the growth process but underneath the skin causing the razor bumps which can lead to infection, scarring, and discomfort. Apply one more hot towel to remove all residues from your shave followed by your post-shave an ice-cold towel close to your pores to prevent and bacteria or unwanted germs to enter the bloodstream and then an oil-free moisturizer. Remember, don’t touch your face immediately because the hands are not always clean.
How important is the environment when experiencing such a high-end grooming service?
The environment in which a high-end grooming service is being conducted is extremely important because of the experience factor. Grooming is not just about great products, a skilled technician and the finest tools. It’s about the customer service each guest receives; it’s about the atmosphere that has a serene quality about it. Cleanliness is extremely important when categorizing oneself as upscale or high-end. The atmosphere can make up a large portion of whether or not a guest returns through your doors. When people choose an upscale grooming experience, they are choosing a lifestyle. For people with tight schedules, the expectation of prompt and courteous service is present. For others, it is the skill and level of the technician while yet for others, they just want to be treated like they treat others. High-end grooming is not limited to just one layer but it has many that are all working continuously and in conjunction with one another for the grand moment: when a first time guess enters the door or a returning guest is welcomed back and until they close the door on their way out.
What type of clients do you typically service?
The type of client that I service ranges from blue collar to white collar and from middle to upper class. We have teachers, doctors, lawyers, judges, construction workers, policemen, firemen, entrepreneurs, CEOs, etc. We service men and women who are looking to experience the same level of professionalism that occurs when you walk into a hotel or into a bank. Our clients know exactly what they want, but more importantly exactly what they don’t want. Our job is to provide them with a consistent experience that is precise and exact. We deal predominantly with business professionals so in layman’s terms – “real recognizes real.”
What advice would you share with someone who seeks to be a barber?
For someone interested in becoming a barber, the first thing I would tell them from a technical and skill standpoint is to find a barber they want to be like, professionally, and do everything exactly the way they do it until you can do it yourself and then make it your own. In addition, from a career standpoint, I would tell them to decide where they want to end up if they can, because this lends to which path you take. There should be two to four barbers you choose to follow until you are the barber someone chooses to follow and even then you are still a student, because the student is never greater than the teacher but can become like the teacher. I always knew I wanted to own and operate a professional grooming lounge which is why I took the path I did. There is always an element of the unknown happening, different opportunities, life decisions, etc. For the most part, a new barber must decide where they want to end up, If this is just something to do as a pastime, then there is a direction for that individual, for others who want to retire cutting hair there is a different path. The worst thing to do is to waste time. Make a decision and see it through until the end, and watch what life has to offer on the way.
What keeps you challenged to show up daily and provide such professional care for your clients?
The challenge to continue to show up every day with a great attitude and the will to keep learning and growing is in short, the competition I have with myself. I want to see if I can attain everything that I think of the way I think of it. I’m always coming up with new services, new haircuts, better ways to provide services, new goals to meet, better standards of professionalism, different ways to be set apart, and new and fresh ways to encourage my employees and industry co-workers. When I stay competitive with myself, there is always more to do. I make sure I take one day at a time and always remember what my mentor of 45-plus years of barbering told me which is to put in a full day’s work of eight to nine hours per day and go home. My family is such a huge part of my personal success and will to keep moving forward. My wife is one of the greatest reasons I am the man that I am today. She has motivated me and never let me quit. She has built with me and fallen with me. Through all that has come our way, she is always there, and that allows me to get up every day and do my best. I want to make her proud. Lastly and most importantly, my faith in Jesus Christ is the lynchpin of who I am and why I am. His blessings and His sacrifice for me points me to the understanding that there are no excuses in hard work and also that there are no shortcuts. I take very seriously the command to love God with all I have, and to treat others as I want to be treated. On this hangs my duty as a grooming expert.
What is your signature regarding the services?
My signature in servicing others is my ability to relate to others. No matter who you are, where you are from, what you believe, what kind of lifestyle you lead, I know we have something in common, and that is called common ground. On common ground relationships are built, and in my grooming lounge, I care about you!
